This article answers the most common questions our customers ask about tax receipts, invoices, and payment receipts in Springly:
- Why didn't your donor receive their tax receipt?
- How can you tell if a tax receipt was successfully sent?
- How do you know if a tax receipt is legally compliant?
- I paid using an offline payment method, but my invoice still shows as unpaid. Why?
- Can tax receipts be issued from donation entries recorded in accounting?
- Can the auto-generated receipt / invoice PDFs be edited?
- Why doesn't the signature appear on the payment receipt?
- Someone made a payment by mistake and is asking for a refund. What should I do if a tax receipt was already issued automatically?
To learn how to configure, send, and retrieve these documents, we recommend reading our dedicated articles first, as this article does not cover those steps in detail: Configure tax receipts, invoices, and payment receipts, Send tax receipts, invoices, and payment receipts, and Track and export issued tax receipts, invoices, and payment receipts
Why didn't your donor receive their tax receipt?
When the donor registers through an online Donation Campaign
The donor pays by credit/debit card
If your donor registers through your Donation Campaign and pays by credit/debit card, they will automatically receive their tax receipt by email — provided you have enabled automatic issuance of tax receipts beforehand (see this article for details). This email is sent a few minutes after the payment confirmation email.
Whether an email is received and where it lands in the inbox (primary, promotions, spam, etc.) depends on the recipient's email provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). Each provider applies its own rules for sorting incoming messages.
This article explains how to track down an email that isn't showing up in the inbox.
The donor uses an offline payment method: check, cash, or other
The email containing the tax receipt will only be sent once the full payment has been recorded by your nonprofit, a few minutes after the payment confirmation email.
This requires action on your part — you need to log the receipt of the payment.
The donor is added manually to a Donation Campaign
If you manually add donors to your campaigns, the tax receipt will be sent if you check the "Send a receipt by email" box.
The email address on file belongs to the Buyer, not the Donor
The Buyer is the person who pays for the transaction.
For example, this could be a parent who donates and pays on behalf of their child.
In the example below, Kylie makes a donation on behalf of her daughter Anna. Kylie is therefore recorded as the Buyer, and Anna is recorded as the Donor. The tax receipt is sent to Kylie's email address and displays her name, not Anna's.
How can you tell if a tax receipt was successfully sent?
The transaction page indicates whether the tax receipt was sent automatically (as shown in the screenshot above).
However, the email containing the tax receipt does not appear in the donor's profile. If you're unsure, reach out to them directly to confirm, or contact our Support team.
If your donor has an account, they can retrieve their own tax receipts from their profile, as explained in this article.
How do you know if a tax receipt is legally compliant?
If you've created your own tax receipt, make sure it meets the requirements outlined in this article. If in doubt, consult an attorney or a CPA.
If you manage your tax receipts in Springly, we work with professionals to ensure that all issued tax receipts are fully compliant.
I paid using an offline payment method, but my invoice still shows as unpaid. Why?
If the invoice shows as unpaid, it means the payment hasn't been recorded by the nonprofit yet. This typically applies to payments made by check, cash, wire transfer, or other offline methods.
In this case, contact the nonprofit so they can take the necessary steps (recording the payment in Springly). Once done, the invoice will show as paid.
Can tax receipts be issued from donation entries recorded in accounting?
No.
The accounting module does not generate tax receipts. Only transactions processed through a campaign or ticketing form generate tax receipts — or invoices in the case of sales through the Membership, Event, or Online Shop modules.
Can the auto-generated receipt / invoice PDFs be edited?
No.
Tax receipts and invoices cannot be edited. These documents are generated and sent automatically.
If your donor entered incorrect information — such as their mailing address or name — you can go to their transaction record and update these details by clicking the Edit button. A new tax receipt will be generated using the updated donor information provided on that page.
Why doesn't the signature appear on the payment receipt?
The signature setting applies to tax receipts only. It does not appear on payment receipts or invoices.
Someone made a payment by mistake and is asking for a refund. What should I do if a tax receipt was already issued automatically?
A tax receipt is issued automatically as soon as a payment is received. Once issued, it cannot be deleted. However, depending on the payment method used (online or offline), there are ways to void the tax receipt.
To find out how to handle each situation, see our detailed article: Delete a transaction linked to a tax receipt.
Learn more:
Comments
0 comments
Article is closed for comments.